After having the SpaceJet regional jet program canceled, the Mitsubishi group has been investing in new areas of activity in aviation. On Tuesday, April 18, the MHIRJ Aviation division of the Japanese group signed a heavy maintenance service contract to overhaul and repair the Embraer ERJ 145 jets belonging to the company Piedmont Airlines.
The regional is a subsidiary of American Airlines, which closed an agreement lasting three years. Mitsubishi’s maintenance services for Brazilian jets will be carried out at Piedmont’s facilities in Bridgeport, in the state of West Virginia.
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Under the terms of the agreement, MHIRJ will set up a heavy maintenance line at the service center, with an option to add more lines in the future. The first ERJ 145 will be shipped to the facility in early May, the regional carrier that flies under the American Eagle brand said.
“We’re excited about this new agreement which allows us to provide exceptional service to Piedmont while expanding our operations to other aircraft platforms,” said Don Nolan, Director of Service Sales, MHIRJ.
MHIRJ (from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Regional Jets) was the division created by the MHI group after the acquisition of the CRJ program from Bombardier, in a deal concluded in February 2021.
CRJ production rights
In addition to acquiring production rights for Canadian regional jets, the Japanese company also took over the maintenance and service fronts for the family of regional aircraft, which were tough rivals to Embraer’s ERJs in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“Our collaboration with Piedmont represents a significant milestone for us as it emphasizes MHIRJ’s commitment to servicing aircraft beyond the CRJ,” said Ismail Mokabel, Senior Vice President, Head of Aftermarket.
Our focus remains to create continued value for our CRJ customers and offer our Heavy Maintenance expertise and experience on other platforms, while exploring opportunities that will allow us to elevate our service offering and diversify our capabilities. These are exciting times at MHIRJ.”
Currently, MHIRJ provides heavy maintenance services for PSA Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, which use the American Eagle brand, on CRJ700, CRJ900 and CRJ200 aircraft and with Contour Airlines, American Airlines’ interline partner.
